(ABC 6 News) — To find the best bug sprays, Consumer Reports (CR) put repellents to the ultimate test–having real people stick their arms into cages full of hungry mosquitoes.

CR recommends 20 products out of the 50 they put to the test, CR’s Kevin Loria said. Products containing 25 to 30 percent deet consistently outperformed most of the competition.

Among the standouts are Ben’s Tick & Insect Repellent Wipes and Wilderness Formula Pump. Both earned top marks in offering excellent protection against mosquitoes and ticks.

“We currently test most of our repellents against only mosquitoes. In past years, we found that repellents that worked well against mosquitoes also tended to work well against ticks, and in a small recent test we ran, repellents with deet worked well against ticks,” Loria said.

Not a fan of the chemical Deet? Don’t worry. Repel Lemon Eucalyptus was the best-performing deet-free option. It uses something called OLE, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Our tests found that products that contain 30% OLE, or 20% picaridin, worked effectively, though not all work as well as the best deet products. But we do recommend staying away from “natural” repellents, as they earned dismal scores in our tests.

No matter what type of repellent you choose, how you apply it makes a big difference. Apply after sunscreen, use a thin layer on exposed skin—never underneath clothing.

It’s okay to spray it on top of clothes, test it on a small area first to make sure it doesn’t damage fabric, and adults should apply repellent on kids. Be sure to wash it off once you’re back indoors for the day.